Pine Lake State Park is a state park

State park

State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...

 of Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

, USA. The park comprises 585 acres (236.7 ha) encompassing two lakes: 50 acres (20.2 ha) Lower Pine Lake and 69 acres (27.9 ha) Upper Pine Lake. The park is located near Eldora

Eldora, Iowa

Eldora is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hardin County. Eldora is located adjacent to the Iowa River and Pine Lake State Park. The city is most famous for the filming of the 1996 movie Twister on location. The...

 and Steamboat Rock

Steamboat Rock, Iowa

Steamboat Rock is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. The population was 336 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Steamboat Rock is located at ....

.

Camping

The Pine Lake campground has 124 camping units with electrical hook-ups, modern showers, restroom facilities and a trailer dump station. Half of the campsites are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, while the remainder must be reserved.

Cabins

The park contains four stone and timber cabins that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps

Civilian Conservation Corps

The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...

 and the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Administration

The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

 in the 1930s. The cabins can be reserved online through the park reservation system.

Trails

There are more than 10 miles (16.1 km) of developed trails around the lake. Trails are marked with points of interest that correspond with trail brochures available at trail heads, the campground and the park office.

There is also a 50 miles (80.5 km) Lake-to-Lake State Park Bike Route connecting Pine Lake and George Wyth Memorial

George Wyth Memorial State Park

The George Wyth Memorial State Park is a state park of Iowa in the United States. The park was dedicated in 1940 as "Josh Higgins Parkway", named for a popular radio character of the day. In 1956, it was renamed George Wyth Memorial State Park after a well-known Cedar Falls businessman and...

 State Parks.

Lake

Both lakes are stocked with bass

Bass (fish)

Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...

, crappie

Crappie

Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...

, northerns, and catfish

Catfish

Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

. The Iowa River

Iowa River

The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the state of Iowa in the United States. It is about long and is open to small river craft to Iowa City, about from its mouth...

 borders a portion of the park and is noted for its channel catfish

Channel catfish

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...

 and smallmouth bass

Smallmouth bass

The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...

. A beach is located on the lower lake.

Boats and canoes are no longer available for rental, and there was no concessionaire for 2009. There are boat ramps are on both lakes. Only electric motors may be used.

External links

• Pine Lake State Park